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Sunday, November 2, 2014

Putting Down Roots

image courtesy of the Univ. of Conn.

Matthew 13:31-32 (NLT) Here is another illustration Jesus
used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.It is the smallest of all seeds, but it
becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and
make nests in its branches.”

Do you have any invasive plants in
your neck of the woods?

In my area, it’s tritchbane.I’ve never been certain of the spelling, but
was glad to learn recently that its official name is Black Swallow-wort.I’ve been familiar with tritchbane ever since
local author and gardener, Electa Tritsch,
identified it for me.I’m embarrassed to
say that, for more than 20 years, I didn’t get her joke.I told everyone it was ‘Tritsch bane’.

So… The Black-Swallow-wort builds an
amazing root system. One knot-like node sends up a single vine that grabs hold
of a fence or bush.New roots quickly
fan out in all directions like spokes of a wheel.Soon, those spokes develop their own nodes
and send up another vine.Soon it’s a widespread
network of roots and vines from which it scatters thousands of seeds in the
wind every fall.

I’m told the mustard plant was
similarly invasive in ancient Israel.

image courtesy of the Univ. of Conn.

So, when Jesus compared the mustard
seed to the Kingdom of Heaven, the picture was clear.One strong group (or
embassy) of committed followers would branch out in the community, take
hold and build an outpost – another Kingdom community.The
Kingdom of Heaven would multiply until there were many heaven-like communities.While I don’t want our strong Christian
communities to be unwelcome, I do want them to be persistent in establishing a
large network of attractive, loving, sheltering places both near and far –
little bits of heaven on earth.